Food & Drink
Savor the Summer
Your summer food guide to the best Lancaster has to offer!
This is the summer to savor the tastes and flavors of our City. It’s the time to explore new places and revisit old favorites from a fresh perspective—maybe even from a new rooftop. As our farms and fields spring to life, our restaurants do as well, creating colorful masterpieces that are an expression of flavor, culture, and conscience.
Below, you’ll meet some of the chefs who are bringing the bounty of Lancaster to life, taking creative risks, and enriching the City’s culinary and cocktail scene. Our foodie challenge is to use Fig to create your own restaurant tour and experience them all. You can feel good about supporting local restaurants, all while you toast, taste, and celebrate the delicious flavors of summer. Enjoy!
Chef Seth Basom: “Our Cubano pizza pairs perfectly with a light lager or softer IPA, and a summer shandy or a wheat beer is a great complement to any salad. With a selection of 100 beers on tap we have a variety of drinks to choose from for our new summer menus.”
Perfect pairings.
Owner Michael Kambouroglos: “Finished with Balsamic glaze and fresh mint, the Watermelon and Feta Salad is a versatile dish—great as a starter, a light meal or snack, or as dessert. This salad precedes our Summer Village Salad, which will showcase local vegetables, particularly the amazing tomatoes of Lancaster County, later in the summer.”
For at-home Greek grilling, Mike suggests to counterbalance the char-flavor with an acid as food comes off of the grill, to cut the bitterness but retain the smokey, savory effects. Lemon juice is the most common choice in Greek cooking, as it has bright acidity and a touch of sweetness.
Get your greek on.
Stop by this summer to see their newly renovated patio and outdoor seating area.
Float on! Some things never go out of style.
Try one (or all) of the new shareable appetizers, such as Luau Shrimp in a creamy sweet and spicy pineapple sauce, Ahi Tuna Poke with mango, avocado, and serrano peppers in a sesame soy sauce, served with crispy wonton chips, and Maine Lobster Flatbread with Fontina and Pecorino Romano cheeses, fresh basil, and a sherry cream sauce.
New menu items. Still fresh from scratch.
Plough & The Exchange
Chef Ryan: “We want to take advantage of everything this area has to offer—with Central Market right across the street, working with all the different farms. It’s not hard to get inspiration. How I like to work is: what produce can I get right now?”
New faces on the block.
“It is our mission to provide a high level of attention and dedication to serving Downtown Lancaster the highest quality, freshest, organic, locally sourced breakfast and lunch foods. Partnering with local farms, we strive towards 100% organic products and mindfully raised livestock.” — Robby
On the sunny side.
Co-owners Sam & Cindy: “Our ‘bing’ is derived from a traditional Chinese street food called jian bing. We created our own recipe that can wrap up as many ingredients as you want in them! We make them fresh from scratch and pressed each and every morning.”
Love at first bite.
Chef Anthony Davis: “When faced with a particularly challenging dish or recipe, understanding what the finished product is supposed to look like will give you confidence while preparing the dish.”
With a side of history.
For the first time in 12 years, Rice & Noodles and Sprout will be featuring a brand new Banh Mi for their summer special! Using their mother’s original recipe, this Banh Mi Xiu Mai is a traditional Vietnamese meatball sandwich that is their family favorite! They are so excited to be sharing this specialty sandwich with Lancaster.
Introducing a new favorite.
Celebrate summer at Lancaster County’s favorite Irish Pub. Annie Bailey’s summer menus feature a bounty of seasonally-inspired dishes, cocktails, beers, and desserts that pair perfectly with the warm weather. With its recently updated patio and outdoor deck, Annie Bailey’s is the perfect downtown summer dining destination.
Fresh & flavorful. Pictured: Chicken Caprese
Starring fresh, seasonal ingredients from Lancaster County farms & producers, Per Diem offers a unique space to meet, eat, imbibe & unwind. And if its seasonal food and beverage menus aren’t enticing enough, daily chef specials, rotating rosés, and its newly opened al fresco dining area make Per Diem a must-visit summer spot.
Seasonal spotlight. Pictured: Strawberry & Mozzarella
Celebrate the flavors of Asia! Located on McGovern Avenue, Yuzu is dedicated to offering a memorable dining experience. Fresh and healthy ingredients are carefully chosen to prepare every dish, from beautifully artistic sushi to hibachi dinners. Online ordering makes picking up work lunches and family dinners quick and easy.
Always a work of art.
Three floors of flavor:
- Yorgos: Family-owned and operated for 30 years, Yorgos restaurant, bar, and lounge on the first floor serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily; kitchen open until midnight.
Kefi: Enjoy a beautiful Mediterranean Taverna serving an elegant selection of fish, steak, and Greek entrees daily. - Little Mykonos: Start your party or event here; private parties available on this floor.
- Little Mykonos terrace: Enjoy dinner and drinks on the new third-floor terrace overlooking Orange Street.
Serving daily selections of delicious Mediterranean dishes.
Chef’s tip: “Pair this Summer Gin & Tonic with the Jamison Farm Lamb on our Four Course Menu. The juniper and rose flavors perfectly complement the lamb’s sorrel, wild ramps, and rhubarb.” — Chef Isaac Olivo
Cocktail party.
Chef Lauren Yeagle: “Lancaster is gifted with an abundance of summer ingredients to use thoughtfully on our menu focused on Southern flavors.”
Artful food for the ages.
Introducing a new flavorful menu with summer salads, refreshing cocktails, and fresh flavors.
Great new heights.
Commonwealth on Queen is always excited to start their Spring/Summer menu when sourcing local ingredients is oh so simple! The season brings bright and beautiful flavors to their menu of comfort classics and clean eats. Both food and drink menus reflect the tastes of the season you crave!
Time for brunch.
Located on East Orange Street, Himalayan Curry & Grill offers Lancaster a wide selection of flavorful Nepalese and Indian dishes.
Color meets flavor.
Co-Owners Sarmila Shrestha and Chef Mohan Pradhan
Are you hungry yet? We certainly are! Now that you have a good direction of the many restaurants and dining options Lancaster has to offer, start planning how you will the savor the summer this season. Using this guide as a resource, we invite you to visit old favorites and try new places around the City in support of our vibrant community and local businesses. Cheers, friends!
Thank you to our editorial sponsor—the High® Companies: celebrating the City of Lancaster and committed to innovative community leadership, sustainable building practices, and advancement through the preservation of local heritage.
